Improvement in india-rubber shoes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS ELLIOTT, JR., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO L. CANDEE StCO., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN INDIA-RUBBER SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,938, dated .Tuly11, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEwIs ELLIOTT, J'r.7 of New Haven, in the State ofConnecticut, have invented and made an Improvement in India- RubberShoes; and the following is declared to be a correct description ofthesame.

Eiforts have heretofore been made to ventilate India-rubber shoes byintroducing within the `shoe a previously-corrugated strip or piece ofrubber and connecting the same in place in the process of vulcanizing orcuring the gum. In these shoes the uppers were heavy and unsightly, andthe same have not met with favor.

My invention is made for the purpose of ventilating the shoe withoutincreasing its wei ght; at the same time rendering such shoe moreornamental in its appearance.

India-rubber shoes generally require to be ventilated in the portionover the front of the foot,

because the shoe here generally sits the most closely to the leatherboot or shoe.

My invention consists in an India-rubber shoe made with corrugationsthat are formed upon a corrugated last by Ineans of cords passingoverthe lining and holding the same down to the last while the rubbersurface that is attached to such lining is being cured. In thisconstruction the cord interposed between the lining and the sheetrubberrenders the corrugations deeper and more permanent than can be obtainedwithout its use.

In the dra-wing, Figure 1 is a side view of the last made use of. Fig. 2is a section of the last and the lining for receiving the India rubber,and Fig. 3 shows part of a shoe in section in larger size.

The last a is to be made with grooves b b at those places where the shoeitself requires to be ventilated. front part of the last. This last maybe made of any suitable material or materials. The lining ofthe shoe isplaced upon thelast, as usual, and coniined into the grooves by anelastic or nonelastic thread, shown at c, so that the sheet rub-l ber,when caused to adhere to the lining, will assume a corrugated form, andthat form will become permanent in consequence of the vulcanizing orcuring. The corrugations, being concave upon their inner surface,prevent the shoe setting' closely to the leather vboot or shoe, and formchannels for the circulation of air and the escape of perspiration, sothat the shoe is ventilated, and this circulation of air is promotedbythe motion of the parts in walking'. The openings formed by thecorrugations in the upper part of the shoe lead to the air-spaces thatthere always are around the sole of. the leather boot or shoe, andcorrugations may be provided at the sides of the rubber shoe extendingdown and connecting with the said air-space around the sole of the bootor shoe.

I claim asmy invention- The corrugations in an India-rubber shoe madeupon a last, with a cord interposed between the lining and sheet rubber,as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed by me this 29th day of December, A. D. 1870.

LEVIS ELLIOTT, J R.

Witnesses GEO. D. WALKER, GEO. T. PINcIrNEY.

I have shown these grooves at the y

